Ice in some places up to four feet thick kept Great Lakes coal shipments down in March, as only three cargoes were loaded during the month, the Lake Carriers' Association said Monday.

One cargo was loaded at the Superior Midwest Energy Terminal in Superior, Wisconsin, for 57,110 st; another at the KCBX Terminals in Chicago for 19,108 st; and a 25,874 st cargo at the CSX terminal in Toledo, Ohio.

Total March coal shipments on the lakes totaled 102,092 st, down 69% from the year-ago month, according to the Cleveland-based association.

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Year-to-date coal trade on the lakes stand at roughly 475,000 st, down 16% compared with 2013 and down 54% from the five-year average.

--Andrew Moore, andrew.moore@platts.com
--Edited by Derek Sands, derek.sands@platts.com